England’s defense coach Kevin Sinfield will leave Steve Borthwick’s coaching staff this summer after being appointed as skills coach for the upcoming Six Nations.
Borthwick announced on Thursday that he had changed his coaching staff for this year’s championship, with Sinfield moving into his new role where he will be responsible for “catching passing skills with batsmen and wicketkeepers” before leaving after this year’s World Tour. New Zeland.
Skills guru Andrew Strawbridge, who helped the All Blacks win silver at the 2023 Rugby World Cup, will join the first four weeks of the Six Nations as a consultant and oversee various areas of Borthwick’s programme.
Ireland’s Felix Jones, who won back-to-back World Cups as assistant coach in South Africa, will replace Sinfield as Borthwick’s defensive assistant. The roles of Richard Wigglesworth and Tom Harrison, offensive coach and offensive coach respectively, remain unchanged.
Borthwick, who did not know Sinfield’s long-term plan, said: “Kev has made up his mind about what he wants to do.”
“At the end of the World Cup every member of the management team needed the opportunity to relax, de-stress, reflect and spend some time with friends and family. A few weeks later Kev and I met and he made up his mind to me.
“Kev’s role over these first 12 months and what he has brought to the table as we reset the team, you can’t overstate the value he brings, what he does and the relationships he builds.
“It’s great to have him continue with the team [until after the summer]. So I changed his role to skill and he will work on his pass-catching skills, especially with the shooters and goalies, which he does very well.”
Farrell ‘showed a lot of courage’
Borthwick addressed the media on Thursday for the first time since the managerial change, as well as Owen Farrell’s decision to take an indefinite leave of absence from international rugby. The head coach, who hopes Farrell will play for England again, described the abuse his captain received as “appalling” and added that the Rugby Football Union was assessing the level of support offered to the men’s team.
“Owen and I spoke right at the end of the World Cup,” Borthwick said. “We were actually in Paris. Then he thought for a while and we met a few weeks later and he told me about his decision to leave. I admire this man as a man, as a player and as a leader.
“It takes a lot of courage to do what he did. The hate spread on the internet is not nice, it is not right. For people to put up with this, their families have to put up with it, too, and drive. [Farrell and two English officials] Outside of the game, it’s just terrifying. I don’t know the answers to that but I do know that it’s wrong and the people saying these things aren’t real rugby fans.
“I don’t think any of us expected what happened at the World Cup or this level of harsh criticism towards some individuals and teams. We looked very closely at what support we give to our players, our management team, our officials, our families. This is to make sure we maximize whatever support we can get.” It’s a big area we’re looking at.”
Older players want to stay in England
Borthwick needs a new captain to replace Farrell and will appoint him along with the rest of the England squad for the Six Nations on January 17. Borthwick, who has his eye on the next World Cup in 2027, confirmed that senior World Cup players are still in the title plans.
“The players need to play well,” Borthwick said. “That’s why we watch the players, that’s why we visit all the clubs and look at how they train. That’s why we talk to their coaches all the time.
“I’ve talked to some players, you could say ‘veteran’ players, players who potentially won’t be there in 2027,” Borthwick said. “I talked to them about the next steps. The number of people who said, ‘I might not be there in four years, but I want to help this team and I want to help the young players come in now.’ I think I have value to add and I can help.’
“This shows me that the players care deeply about this team and want to help the team grow, develop and strengthen from that foundation.
“Obviously there is a need for this growth and development. We know there is a balance between aiming to win every game we play (because we want to win every game) and making sure we are successful in every tournament or series we play and be ready for 2027. balance. But I try to keep things as simple as possible for players. Play well, win the election and help this team succeed. “This will be the best way for the team to be ready for 2027.”